A SENDING off for keeper Phil Barnes sounded the death knell for Blackpool's Carling Cup campaign in a disappointing defeat against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

Barnes was given his marching orders after 15 minutes when he picked up the ball inches outside his penalty area. Referee Paul Danson followed the latest FA directive to the letter by showing the red card to the keeper, infuriating the home fans.

Blackpool had looked by far the better side, with John Murphy going close with a header from a fine Scott Taylor cross, and, even after the sending off, Taylor went close with a volley from the edge of the six yard box.

But the breakthrough came on 24 minutes, when Wayne Routledge fed Andy Jonson after some sloppy Blackpool defending. Stand-in keeper, Gareth Evans, stood up well and got a touch to the shot, but it still floated in.

The Seasiders continued to enjoy the better of the play after half-time, though there were also some long periods of keep-ball from Palace. They added their second when Simon Grayson was harshly adjudged to have fouled Johnson in the box and, despite a a spirited effort by Evans, who went the right way for the penalty, Dougie Freedman scored.

Evans also made a couple of superb saves, one from a deflected Michael Hughes free kick, another from a point-blank Freedman header, but he could do nothing about Johnson's third late in the game, a well-taken long-range effort.

Blackpool weren't giving up easily and they managed the goal their play deserved in the dying seconds through a towering John Murphy header from a Mike Sheron cross.

Boss Steve McMahon criticised the laws which lad to Barnes' dismissal, but admitted that Mr Danson had no choice.

"If he's handled the ball outside the box, , I don't think the referee has any decision to make. He's under sever pressure to send him off by the letter of the law. That law needs to be looked at again.

"It's not as if he's rushed 10 yards outside his box to prevent a goalscoring opportunity - people want to see 11 against 11. If we'd had that I'm sure we'd have given a good account of ourselves."

BLACKPOOL'S fifth sending off of the season was also their second of the week after Jonathan Douglas got his marching orders for a second yellow card at Plymouth on Saturday.

An appeal is planned. Pool lost to a Marino Keith goal just before half time having held the free-scoring league leaders for most of the first half.

BOREHAM Wood await in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday, November 8.

The Rymans League side from Hertfordshire made it to the first round of the cup for the second year running after beating Kettering in the final qualifying round and will head to Bloomfield Road.

BLACKPOOL are due to learn at some point this week if Neil Danns and Jonathan Douglas are to return to Blackburn Rovers after the game at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The Wednesday game is followed by a Tuesday LDV Vans cup tie against Doncaster Rovers at Bloomfield Road.

POOL have a keeper crisis on the horizon, with Lee Jones still struggling with injury and Barnes facing a suspension following his sending off against Palace.

Unless Jones recovers soon, teenager Lewis Edge could be Blackpool's only available keeper, so a plunge into the loan market looks increasingly likely.

Blackpool 1 Crystal Palace 3